Nothing But Time
by A.Ash
Summary: Sequel to 'The New Kids' When Renesmee leaves Owen, what drastic measures will he take to try and win her back?
1. Chapter 1

Shrouded black figures marched toward me in a tightly regimented line, and I knew it was all over. I clutched the brown fur of Jacobs back and look at my mother through tear streaked eyes. Would I ever see her again?

I woke up gasping and couldn't tell if this dream was just a replay of my early childhood memories, or a picture of what was to come. I shuddered in my bed, waiting for my father. He always heard my bad dreams, and was quick to comfort me. A split second after I woke up, he was there.

"Are you alright, love?" he asked, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Yeah, it was just a dream...I'm okay," I tried to reassure him. Jake stirred lightly next to me, but I didn't want him to wake. He would worry about me if he knew of my disturbing dreams.

"Any new developments?" I asked my father as he got up to leave.

"Not really, he's still on his way to London, but so are Carmen and Eleazar. Alice can't tell yet how it's going to play out, there are too many decisions left to be made."

I could tell how unsure he was by the tone of his voice, though he was trying not to let it show. He had no idea if this was going to work, and I wished he wouldn't put on a brave face for me. He smiled a little in response to my thoughts, and closed the door behind him on his way out.

I yawned widely and curled myself into Jacobs side as his arm wrapped instinctively around my waist. The heat of his body was comforting, and I was thankful that I was warmer than humans. If I ran any cooler, laying here next to him would surely be stifling. I wouldn't mind it though, being far from his touch now was unacceptable.

Unacceptable because we might not have much time left. We'd only been an official couple for less than a week, and already we were facing disaster. My human ex-boyfriend, Owen, was determined to become a vampire, no matter the cost. He was on his way to Volterra, Italy at this very moment, not aware that his actions would be the end of my family. I obviously blamed myself, with good reason. Trying to be normal and have normal relationships had backfired hideously.

I was wide awake now, and too keyed up to sleep, though I'd only gotten a couple of hours in the past two days. I paused to listen to what was going on in the house around me; Mom and Dad were in the music room, my father quietly playing his piano. Aunt Alice, Uncle Jasper, Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme were out hunting, while Aunt Rose and Uncle Em were _occupied_ in their room. They weren't being as quiet as usual, so they must have thought that I was back asleep. I resisted the urge to gag or snicker, I didn't want them to hear me.

Out back, Garrett, Kate and Tanya were discussing what their part in the coming confrontation would be. They would stand with us no matter what, of course, but they weren't sure how to best protect Carmen and Eleazar from becoming tainted by their involvement should they not succeed in stopping Owen. I had a feeling they knew there was no way to protect them.

I refused to think of what would happen if he wasn't stopped. I would surely have a mental breakdown. Instead I laid quietly and thought about Jake, and how happy I was to finally be with him. How odd that what I'd spent years fighting against ended up making me the happiest I'd ever been. I touched his face in the darkness, thinking of our first blissful kisses from before we'd known about our impending doom. He told me that when I did this while he was sleeping, he often saw my thoughts as dreams...I would be sure to give him sweet dreams tonight. I knew it was working when he smiled and pulled me closer.

I spent the rest of the night with my hands pressed to Jake's face, watching his unconscious reactions to some of my favorite memories. It was a good way to occupy myself. The clouds outside were just turning a lighter shade of gray when I heard Aunt Alice rush through the back door.

"Edward, Bella," She called.

I heard the rest of the family gathering around her as my parents rushed from the music room. "What is it Alice?" my mother asked. My father was silent, he'd already seen what she was now telling the others.

"He's landed in London. He was hoping to just hop a flight straight to Italy, but the family friends he was set up to stay with met him unexpectedly at the airport. He's going to have to stay put for a little while. A few days, perhaps."

I heard several relieved sighs, mine included. If Owen was stuck in London for a few days, it would give Carmen and Eleazar a better chance to track him down and stop him. All they needed to do was tell him what would become of me and my family were he to go to the Volturi, and I was positive that would stop him. I'd had no idea when I showed him the Italian vampires who scared me so badly that his view of them would not be the same. I'd left out the worst of my memories of them, to spare him. Instead he'd somehow gotten the impression that they were the ones he should run to instead of away from.

"Do you still see him making it to Italy?" Aunt Rose murmured to Alice.

"Yes," she sighed. "It's hazier now...not as definite, but still there. I can't see where the failure comes though...how he'll evade Carmen and Eleazar. He's purposely not making any decisions now, not refining his plan on how to get to Italy. He knows too much about how I see things."

I grimaced. My fault, my fault, all my fault. I couldn't take it. I buried my face in Jacobs chest and let myself sob. All the exhaustion and stress pressed down on me at once and I just let myself give into it. I heard my mother make a move to come comfort me, but my father stopped her. He knew that I just wanted Jake in this moment, too ashamed to face the rest of my family.

Jake woke with a start when a particularly loud cry broke in my throat. "Nessie, baby...baby what's wrong? Did something happen?"

I shook my head, "Nothing...bad...really..." the words broke between my sobs. I sat up and forced myself to try and breath normally with long deep breaths. After a moment I was able to talk in coherent sentences. "He's in London, staying there for a few days."

"That's a good thing, isn't it? He's not going straight to Volterra...that should help, right?"

"It _should_ help, but Aunt Alice still sees him making it there. He knows too much..." My lip started quivering. "He knows too much...because of _me_."

He shook his head vigorously. "Ness, you've got to quit beating yourself up. Your family _encouraged_ your relationship with him, no one is to blame for this...if anyone had foreseen this outcome do you think they would have let things get so far?"

He was right, to an extent. My father had known everything that I'd told Owen, and he never took any exception to it. None of us had known that Owen was capable of such an irrational response. "Thanks Jake," I told him. He really did make me feel a tiny bit better.

"You've got to sleep," he told me. "I promise I'll wake you up the second there is any new news."

"You swear?"

"I swear," he smiled and kissed my forehead.

Sleep was looking better every second, all the crying had exhausted me. Hoping that I was too tired to have anymore nightmares, I climbed under the covers. Jake laid next to me, resting his cheek lightly against the top of my head until I drifted off.

____________________________

"Nessie....Ness...._Renesmee_."

I sat up quickly and nearly knocked my head into Jacobs. "Geeze Jake," I muttered sleepily. "What's going on?"

"Somethings happening, I told you I'd wake you up."

"Oh!" I swung my legs over the side of the bed and darted downstairs, Jake following closely behind.

Everyone was standing in the kitchen, an unusual place for them to be. I saw why they were gathered here when I spotted my dad bent over the stove, cracking eggs into a pan. He was making me breakfast...or a midnight snack. I eyed the clock that was built into the oven, it was nearly eleven, I'd slept all day and half the night.

He smiled tightly when I walked in. "I'm glad you got some sleep, Nessie. You needed it."

"Yeah...thanks for the food Dad," I said as he set a plate in front of me and slid 3 over easy eggs onto it. "So what's going on?"

"I was finally able to pinpoint where Owen is staying, Carmen and Eleazar are on their way right now, we're just waiting," Aunt Alice said.

I was suddenly aware of the tense atmosphere, everyone on pins and needles waiting for the phone to ring or for a change in Alice's vision. The only sound was my fork scraping across the plate, and it unnerved me. As I was finishing my last bites, I nearly fell off the stool I was perched on when the home phone started trilling.

Grandpa Carlisle had it to his ear before the first ring had ended.

"Hello?" His voice was low... stressed. His expression and stance relaxed when he heard the voice on the other end of the line. "Sorry, wrong number."

He put the phone back on the hook and took a deep breath. Everyone returned to breathing normally, but the tension did not dissipate.

After a few more minutes I couldn't bear the charged silence anymore. I got up and took my plate to the sink, ignoring Jake when he offered to wash it for me. I let the hot water rush over my hands long after I was done cleaning the dish, the sound of the water was better than silence. Just as I was turning off the faucet, I heard Aunt Alice and my father gasp in unison. The phone rang not a second later. I knew it wasn't going to be good news, I could tell by the empty look on Dad's face.

I could hear Grandpa Carlisle speaking quietly on the phone, but I wasn't listening to the words. I couldn't focus on anything except the wordless communication that was flowing between my father and my aunt. Their faces never changed into a more comforting expression.

I heard the phone click off and I turned my attention to Grandpa Carlisle at once. "He wasn't there," he said bleakly.

"But how?" Uncle Jasper started. Aunt Alice saw him there, how could he not be?

"I got it wrong," she said. "He _was_ there, but I can see now that he tricked me. He was just running out for breakfast with a friend, he intended on going back....He's on his way to the airport instead. Call Carmen...tell her to get there as fast as possible. He's leaving out of terminal 5 at Heathrow."

Tanya spoke for only a second before flipping her phone closed, and then all was silent again. More waiting.

It didn't take as long this time, only about 30 minutes. Grandpa Carlisle picked up the ringing phone, and put it on speaker so we could all hear.

"I...I don't think this is going to work!" Carmen's voice was soft, muffled by the bustling of the airport around her.

"Why, Carmen? What's wrong?" Kate asked.

"He hasn't seen us, but he's wary. He must suspect he's being followed. He's sitting at his gate now, right in a patch of sunlight. It's too crowded for us to approach him."

Of course it was sunny, I groaned inwardly. The weather couldn't help us just one tiny bit?

Eleazar came on the phone then, his voice urgent and slightly panicked. "It is imperative that we stop this boy. If the Volturi suspect what his talent might be, we'll be in much bigger trouble than we anticipated."

His talent? I'd never really thought about what Owen might be able to do as a vampire, but by the sound of Eleazar's voice it was something powerful.

"What do you think he can do?" my father asked.

"I've never seen anything like it. He'd be the ultimate weapon...I'm almost positive that he can adopt the powers of others, take it from them almost...as long as he is close enough. He also seems to have a fairly good idea of when some sort of power is being used on him. I'm having a hard time getting a good idea of how extensive it might be...he's using it now."

"I'm confused," Grandma Esme stated.

"We all are," Garrett responded.

"He's doing it all unconsciously...so its hard to define, like a sixth sense," Eleazar explained. "Its not exactly a shield. More like he senses that I'm near....knows what I'm doing, and is working to stop it. I suspect that if he were one of us, he would be able to fully take it from me and use it. That isn't such a big deal with my power...but imagine if he could do that to Kate, Bella or Alice."

"It's how he knew I could read his mind," my father gasped.

"But he didn't stop you from reading it..." Aunt Rose questioned.

"It was before he knew anything about us, now he knows...he's more attuned to things he wasn't before."

I was frozen on the floor as I listened, thinking about Owen as an 'ultimate weapon'. It sent chills up my spine. Would the Volturi know what they had on their hands?

"He's moving into the shade...they're boarding," Eleazar said quickly.

"Approach him slowly," I heard Grandpa Carlisle tell him. "In the most non threatening way possible, tell him you have someone on the phone for him, it wouldn't do to talk about the Volturi with so many people standing around."

"It's so crowded," I heard Carmen say. It sounded like Eleazar had left the phone on, but dropped it to his side as he moved through the crowds to where Owen stood. I could hear the buzz of other conversations in the background.

"He's spotted us," Eleazar moaned.

"Owen! Wait, please!" I heard Carmen shriek. Now I could hear people grumble and protest as they pushed their way through the crowd. My heart stopped when I heard the next words.

"I'm sorry, sir. Your ticket?"

"I'm not on this flight...it was sold out, but I'm on a flight to Rome with this airline. There is a friend of ours who just boarded without some very pertinent information. He's a minor, and..."

Eleazar was cut short by the gate attendant, "I'm sorry, you cannot pass beyond this point without a ticket."

"It's no use," Aunt Alice said. Her voice was totally devoid of any emotion. "It's too late."


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR NOTE: Hey all! I've done something a little different with this chapter, the first part is Nessies POV as usual, but then it switches to Owens. I think we needed a first hand account of the events, not just bits and pieces of visions from Alice! Hopefully, it will also give you a little bit of insight into his head. Let me know what you think! **

I collapsed onto the floor, my head making a sickening sound as it cracked against the edge of the counter top. Though I realized that I'd lost my grasp on consciousness, I heard an echo of Aunt Alices words in my head. "It's too late."

I'm not sure how long I was out, it could have been 10 seconds or 10 hours, but I woke up still on the kitchen floor with a splitting headache and Jacobs face hovering a few inches above mine. I must have only been out for a minute or two.

"Oh, Nessie!" he exclaimed when he saw my eyes open, tears were pooled in the corners of his. "Are you okay? Thank god your head is so hard, for a second I thought you must have split it right open!"

"I'm okay...a little bit of a headache..." I mumbled as I tried to pull myself into a sitting position. The rest of my family was bent down over me as well, and I started feeling claustrophobic with the wall of people surrounding me.

"Give her some space," Dad said calmly. He stood up straight and pulled my mother back.

Grandpa Carlisle made his way to the freezer, pulled out a blue icepack, wrapped it in a dish towel and handed it to me. "Put this on the back of your head, sweetie."

I did as he asked, and winced. My skin might have been impenetrable, more vampire than human, but it still _hurt_ like human skin would. I leaned my back against the cabinets and sighed, not wanting to ask about what I knew to be true. I forced myself anyway. "He's going to make it there, isn't he?"

"Yes," Aunt Alice said simply. She was leaning heavily into Uncle Jasper, looking very vulnerable, like she needed the support. It was an odd thing to see.

"What do we do now?"

"We wait," my mom said quietly.

More waiting, great. I would go out of my mind waiting. I was vaguely aware of Tanya speaking low and fast in the other room, still on the phone with Carmen and Eleazar. "No, you must stay put, you can't follow him all the way to Volterra. You'll just be killed right along with him, and if they do decide to turn him, do you think they'll leave you unharmed?"

My father strode into the living room then, and I heard him take the phone out of Tanyas hand. He spoke low and urgent, "Eleazar, you cannot go anywhere near there. You know as well as I do that you will have to touch Aro, and you know too much. He can't find out what talent Owen might hold."

I could tell that Eleazar must be seeing reason now, he wouldn't want to make matters worse.

"Make your way to Florence, that way you'll be close....just in case. We'll call you the second Alice sees anything new. Thank you, Eleazar. My family owes you so many times over." I heard the small phone flip shut. "Jacob," Dad called. "Carry Nessie to the couch please, she'll be more comfortable in here."

I attempted to protest as Jake leaned down to scoop me into his arms, but gave up quickly. It was easier to just let him have his way on this small thing, and I needed to concentrate. There was an idea swimming around in my brain, it hadn't fully formed yet, but I was afraid that my father would quash it before it had the chance. I focused my attention on something random and meaningless instead, the cheesy reality show that was playing on the television. It was easy to hide my thoughts as I tried to unravel complicated relationships on the screen. Jim was dating Melissa, but used to date Anne. Anne was Codys cousin, and he used to date Melissa....I went on like this for half an hour before my father finally let out an exasperated sigh and turned it off.

"Stop it, Renesmee. Quit keeping me out."

"I'm not keeping you out," I lied easily, while continuing to think about Melissa and her twin sister switching places to see if anyone noticed. I knew I could only keep this up for so long...maybe I needed to go out and hunt, just to get away from him for awhile.

"You're not going anywhere," he said firmly.

"Dad!" I was being whiny now. There had to be a way. And then, for a split second, I slipped.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" He roared.

Our short conversation had gone mostly unnoticed by the rest of the family, but they all looked at me now. Over my fathers growls and sounds of protest, I thought of what I had to do. Owen had run to Italy for my sake, to try and become what he thought I wanted. I knew I'd be too late to completely save him, but if the Volturi did decide to turn him, well...then I should be there. That would prevent them from coming here. I was the only one who truly deserved to be punished.

"Edward? What's going on?" Jacob asked frantically.

"She want to go...to _them_," he hissed.

Now it was Jakes turn to freak out, along with the rest of my family. I couldn't make out any distinct words, it was just a tumult of hisses and growls. Well, so much for that idea. There was no way I was being let out of the house...or possibly this room...anytime soon. When the noise died down, I let out a sigh.

"You are _so_ your mothers child." Aunt Alice shook her head. Then, she paused for a moment, her eyes shifting out of focus. I heard everyone around me stop breathing. "It's going to be soon. He'll rent a car and be in Volterra by the time the sun rises here," she said.

The next several hours seemed to drag on endlessly. No one spoke or moved. Jake and I were curled up together on the couch, our arms and legs tangled and wound tightly. It was like we were trying to squeeze an eternity of touches into the space of a few small moments. It seemed as if days had passed when the black sky finally started to turn a deep gray. Aunt Alice sighed, and I knew it was time.

"What are you seeing?" I whispered to her.

"He's pulling up to the city, not sure how to find them. He's figures that if he starts asking around for Aro, one of them will hear and take him there. It's a good plan. It won't take long for one of the guard to realize that something is up and take him to their master."

I felt nauseous. The idea of Owen standing so close to Aro and his chalky, milky eyed brothers was nearly too much to take.

"Can you see what they'll say to him, what will happen next?" Jacob asked.

"Sort of," she replied. "I think he'll take them by surprise. Not an easy thing to do. And just like last time, I can see that they'll come for us, they're just waiting for an excuse. Also, given Aros dislike of 'waste' I'm fairly certain that they'll agree to change him..." Her eyebrows were pulled down in concentration, like her visions were coming too fast now for her to keep up.

So that she could concentrate fully, my father began to tell us her thoughts. "He's walking around the main plaza, asking for Aro. No one knows who he's talking about...yet."

"A lesser member of the guard was out in the city and just heard him...."

"He's reporting back to Aro right now....."

"Aro is sending Demetri."

There was a longer pause.

"He'll follow Demetri into their building, and...right now it looks like he'll just tell them the truth, the whole story. He knows that Aro will find out the truth anyway."

Another pause. My breath was coming out in short heavy pants now, it was the only noise in the room.

"He's standing in front of them. He doesn't look frightened at all, but Aro looks surprised."

It was quiet again, for longer than before. I was about to ask what was happening when Aunt Alice started speaking again. "They're deliberating. They honestly don't know what to do about him. They'll be here by the end of next week, though. That is very clear. Caius is overjoyed that he gets to confront us again."

"They're all coming again?" Jasper asked her.

"No...I don't think so. Only Caius and some of the guard," she answered. "They know if they come fast enough, we won't have time to ask anyone to stand with us."

I heard my breath coming out in big gusts, like I couldn't get enough air down my throat. I felt tears on my cheeks, but hardly noticed them. I could only think about the week I had left. One week.

"Alice, what was that? What did you just see Aro saying?" My father gasped.

Her eyes grew wide. "Oh no...no no no."

We all looked imploringly at my father to explain.

"Aro said that we...our family... seem to have a knack for finding people with exceptional talents. He saw enough in Owens thoughts to give him a small inkling of what he might be capable of, and Aro suspects that he'll be quite an asset. He's going to try and use Owen against us."

"Well, then there is no way they'll be able to come next week. It could take months to prepare Owen," Uncle Jasper said confidently. I could tell he was forming a plan in his head, a plan of counter attack. Unfortunately, that wouldn't matter much if Owen was taught to use his abilities against us. He could disable any talent of ours. Even if he couldn't penetrate my mothers shield, we still didn't stand a chance.

______________________________________________________________________

This stupid car. Who comes to Italy and ends up with a rented Ford? I needed something _fast_. I could practically feel _them_ on my tail, the two vampires who had tried to corner me in the airport. They must be following me, right?

I wouldn't think about that, I had to press on regardless. I knew, deep in my soul, that Renesmee and I were meant for each other. If I were more like her, part of her crazy world, maybe she would realize it too. I knew enough to know that it would be painful, and that I would be crazy for several months. Crazy with thirst for human blood. I was resolved to never kill a human though, she surely wouldn't like it if I did. I could live on animals, just like the rest of her family.

It took longer than I thought it would to get the walled city that the road signs identified as Volterra, but I still slowed unconsciously as I pulled up to the towering walls. What was I going to say? How was I even going to find them? I knew very little from the memories and thoughts that Nessie had shown me about the ancient ones I was looking for. I knew they were the rulers of the world I wanted to belong to. I knew that they punished those who broke the rules. For a moment, I was worried about the Cullens. Did me coming here, knowing too much, break a rule? Even if it did, how could they harm them? Carlisle had lived as one of them for a time, they were friends.

I considered lying for a moment, telling them that I figured it out on my own...not letting them know I had any connection to anyone in the vampire world, or that I had once come upon a nomad and escaped him after finding out the truth. But then I remembered the gift that Aro possessed. Nessie had shown me once, one of the only memories she had of Aro. His hand was pressed to Edwards and he had small fascinated smile on his face. He looked very kind in that memory, but it had been tinged with fear when she showed me. I didn't understand why.

I was resolved now, I would tell the simple truth. It was the easiest way. But how to find them? I supposed I could just start asking around. Though I was sure none of the humans would have any idea who I was talking about, perhaps a vampire would hear me.

I pulled through the arched gates at around four in the afternoon and parked along a quiet side street. I'd been all over the world, and though Volterra was beautiful, it did not fascinate me. I'd seen too many similar Italian cities for it to have that effect. I followed the flow of light foot traffic to the main plaza, asking a few people along the way if they knew Aro. My Italian was rusty, so after a few confused looks, I just stuck to English.

I wandered aimlessly around the square, asking someone every minute or so. I was starting to feel silly, and a little nervous. The ones who were following, Carmen and Eleazar who I knew from Nessies memories, must be getting closer.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, but only about 15 minutes in reality, I saw a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows. He must be one of them. He wore a long dark gray cloak that brushed the ground and had the hood pushed back so that I could see his pale face. It was definitely not Eleazar, so I made my way slowly in his direction.

"I'm looking for Aro, do you know him?" I asked, knowing full well that he did.

"Yes, I do," he replied musically. "What is your business with him?"

"I'm a friend of a friend. I know the Cullens, and I have a favor to ask."

I noticed his eyes brighten when I mentioned the Cullens. I couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad thing. "Of course, follow me please."

I followed him through a few alleyways and into a side door of a blank, nondescript stone building. The hallway inside was just as boring. It looked like any hall you'd see on the inside of any office building. There was an elevator at the end, its door open and waiting for us.

The vampire I followed didn't speak to me again, he merely looked amused. When the elevator opened I was surprised by the area we stepped out into. It was quite an extravagant waiting room, like something you'd see inside an exclusive members only club. The scent of the fresh flowers that sat on every table was nearly overwhelming.

"Good afternoon, Christina," the man said to the woman behind the dark wooden counter. I was surprised again when I registered the fact that she was human. These vampires must be just as civilized and compassionate as the Cullens, to live and work in such close proximity to humans without harming them. Perhaps they only hunted the bad ones, as Nessie told me Edward used to do.

"Hello Demetri," she said back to him, a polite smile on her face.

I kept following Demetri through several more winding halls until he finally pushed open a set of large golden doors. This place was very lavish, I could see why they were thought of as royalty, and the room we walked into was the most opulent yet. It was large and long, lined with marble looking columns. It could have been the sanctuary of a church, but instead of stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes, huge colorful paintings and rich tapestries hung on the walls.

At the opposite end of the long room there were 5 ornate chairs grouped together. I recognized Aro at once, and assumed that the two men and two women seated next to him were the rest of the Volturi. As I got closer the waif looking women got up and ghosted from the room, followed by a small contingency of other vampires. Still, more remained, grouped loosely around the three seated men.

I was about 10 feet from them, when Aro stood and spoke. "Hello, young friend! I hear that you have been looking for me?"

"Yes." My voice sounded more confident that I actually was. In truth, I felt like I could get sick at any moment. I was still confident of what I wanted, but I was starting to wonder if this had been the ideal way to go about getting it.

"What can I do for you?" He asked genially.

"I...I want to become a vampire," I stuttered. "I am a friend of the Cullens, and I wish to join them, but they won't change me. My girlfriend showed you to me in her thoughts once and I knew that if they wouldn't do it, you might be my next best chance."

"Ah," he said lightly. "Very interesting. What is your name, young one?"

"Owen Ross, sir." Was 'sir' appropriate? I almost felt like I should be calling him 'your majesty' instead.

"Well, Owen. I'm very, very glad you came to see us here. Of course, I will need the whole story before we make any decision regarding your future. I take it you know of my talent?"

"Yes, sir." I took at tentative step toward him and stretched out my hand. He smiled and walked the rest of the way to me, shadowed closely by 3 others. I shivered when his icy, white fingers touched mine. His face was blank, but smiling as he probed my thoughts. I didn't like the idea of him seeing everything, every moment I'd shared with Nessie. I worked not to think about them, to try and hide it, even though I knew it was futile. Ness had told me that he could read every thought that had ever crossed my mind. I wondered what it would be like, to see and hear all that Aro had. To know every thought of every person he'd touched.

Then, something very curious happened, and I wondered if it was a side effect of Aros ability. As I was thinking about not wanting him to hear everything, and trying to bury certain thoughts deeply, it seemed as if I could glimpse into _his_ mind. There were weak murmurings in my head that did not belong to me. Shock, mostly. Before I could get anything more, or even figure out what was happening he drew his hand away.

His face betrayed nothing, so I figured that this must happen with everyone.

"Hmmm. Interesting, indeed." He looked to at the two seated behind him. Caius and Marcus, I remembered. "Very interesting, that the daughter of Edward and Bella would fall in love with a human. Ironic."

A huge hulking vampire standing behind Aro laughed menacingly. It gave me chills.

Caius spoke for the first time, and his voice had a sharp edge, but also an eagerness. "Really, Aro? So soon do we get news of another opportunity to finish what was started?"

Aro cut him off before he said anything more. "Carefully, Caius. Young Owen here has immense love Renesmee and the rest of the Cullens." It sounded like a warning for Caius to shut up before he gave something vital away. "As do we, as well..." he tacked on for good measure.

"Yes," Caius added, narrowing his eyes. "Carlisle is like a brother to us."

For some reason I did not believe them, and I grew increasingly wary. Marcus had yet to speak, and really didn't look inclined to, but he nodded vaguely when his brothers spoke.

"We must council, and decide what fate we will give young Owen," Aro said in his sing song voice.

Caius and Marcus stood, then followed Aro through a small door that I hadn't noticed beside the chairs. He motioned for the others to stay behind, and I was left in the cavernous room with around a dozen vampires, all of whom were looking at me with various expressions on their beautiful faces. A few looked downright giddy, as if my request had made their day. Others looked more disapproving, like I didn't belong. None of them looked at me thirstily, I thought.

Their eyes were disconcerting at first glance, menacing even, but they did not detract from the stunning beauty of their faces. As I peered timidly into them, I began to worry. This had not been what I expected, and I had feeling that if my request were turned down I would not just be free to go. _Just think of Nessie_ I told myself over and over again. I thought of her big brown eyes that were beautiful beyond description, her curly red brown hair that smelled so sweet, and her smile that would melt anyone who looked on it. I sighed contentedly, just thinking of her made me happy, no matter where I was.

Somewhere deep inside of myself, I realized that I was doing something beyond crazy and that I had snapped....something that the normal, rational side of me, which was usually so dominant, would be having an absolute fit about right now, if I allowed him to surface. But what were my other options? I had to win her back.

That thought brought me to the reason I was here. The stupid _dog_. The imprinting thing disgusted me, because it had taken my Nessie away. I knew she had freewill and a choice in the matter, but I wasn't entirely sure she knew that. She said she did, but I didn't believe it. One lousy kiss wouldn't have made the whole world suddenly rotate the other direction if she'd known she had the choice. I couldn't believe that my Nessie would do that to me of her own freewill.

When...if...I became a vampire, I would be far better suited for her than _him_.

I was snapped out of my brooding thoughts by the three ancient vampires gliding back into the room. They had reached their decision, and I felt my stomach heave as I thought about the future I was so close to getting. I didn't know what to expect.


	3. Chapter 3

(Owen POV)

"It is over, young one."

I could hear a voice, a pleasant voice. And I heard the words he spoke, but I did not comprehend. What was over? My life? My existence? I felt as if I could not possibly exist anymore.

But somehow, I did.

I moved my hand slowly up to my face, only it wasn't slow. The moment I thought to touch my cheek, my hand was there. I gasped, sucking in a breath of air..and then gasped again. The burn that ran from my throat all the way to the core of my body overtook every thought in my head. It was torturous.

"You must be thirsty. We have meal for you in the next room, if you'd like to join us," the soothing voice said again.

Yes. God, yes. I needed a meal. I opened my eyes to look at the man who was speaking, offering to feed me. When I gazed into his ashy, frail face I had a clouded memory of him. He was Aro. That memory made others begin to fall into place; the Volturi, Italy, Vampires, the Cullens, and Renesmee.

Renesmee. That name drew the most memories from the annoying murky stream that was swimming in my mind. I knew I had done this for her. It angered me that I couldn't recall her face in perfect detail, because I knew it must be beautiful.

"Aren't you thirsty, young Owen?" Aro was speaking to me again, pulling me away from past memories.

"Yes," I croaked. Or at least I thought it should come out like a dry, cracking croak, instead my voice was beautiful and smooth.

In a blinding movement, I was standing next to Aro. I laughed a little at the strange feeling, and he chuckled along with me. I followed him through a small door directly into another room, which opened up into a huge circular chamber. It was ancient and foreboding with its stone walls and high windows, and I hoped this is where the meal would be, the burn in my throat was agonizing.

"That's him...great potential...Aro is thrilled...new guard member...great honor..."

I heard every whisper that was being said around the room, and every one of them confused me. I met a few of the red, probing eyes and wondered why I suddenly felt so ill at ease. But before I could become too uncomfortable, I caught the faint scent of something that overtook my senses completely. It was the most mouthwatering thing I'd ever smelled.

I immediately lowered into a crouch, preparing to spring as soon as the tantalizing thing walking through the door. A hulking figure in a deep gray cloak tried to approach me and I surprised myself my letting a vicious, feral snarl slide through my teeth. He growled back.

"Patience, Felix," Aro scolded the cloaked vampire. "Owen is brand new. Let him be so that we can watch what happens."

I was barely listening to Aro, all I could think of was the tantalizing smell...I listened to the shuffling footsteps, easily calculating how long it would take for them to enter the room.

"Galumph, galumph, galumph," I counted the heartbeats of my approaching dinner. In the back of my mind, I knew it was a human. I knew that I was about to murder a person...someone just as fragile and frightened as I had been a short time ago. I didn't care. My thirst was all consuming and had to satiated.

I didn't even have to think when he walked through the door. I just pounced, snapping his neck and glutting myself on the warm liquid. After I'd drained him and wiped the blood that was running down my face and bare chest, I took a step back and looked at what was left.

The burning in my throat was dull, a background thought compared to what was now taking over my brain. I'd killed the man in front of me and the shame was overwhelming. He wore a wedding ring on his left finger and had grass stains on his jeans...probably from playing a game with his children. Children who no long had a father because of me. I buried my head in my hands.

"What is the matter with him?" I heard one of the other ancients ask.

Aro sighed and turn to answer. "If I had to guess, I would say that the Cullen way of life has turned our young friend off to his true nature."

He was right. I knew there was a reason for the nagging feeling that I'd done something terribly wrong. My Renesmee and her family only drank the blood of animals because they valued human life. What would they think of me now?

"Owen, it is quite alright for you to partake of human blood. It is who you are. The Cullen's are an aberration and you should not feel as if you have to follow their way of life. You are here with us now."

As Aro spoke I could feel some unexplained, underlying feeling loyalty to him and this group of vampires. It did not feel genuine and I didn't care for it. I didn't want to feel loyal to this band of enforcers. I wondered what would become of them if they did not have this worshiping throng of followers who carried out their every wish and whim.

A beautiful female standing on the fringe of group gasped and began to back away.

"Chelsea?" Aro asked. "Will you come here please."

To the surprise of everyone in the room, she shook her head and continued to back away. What was even more surprising was that everyone else had a similar look of shock and discomfort on their faces.

Aro walked slowly to her and gestured for her to hold his hand. To this, she agreed.

"Mmmhum," he mumbled. "As I thought. Chelsea, dear, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from using your particular gift for the time being."

"O...okay?"

I was distracted and confused by this odd conversation.

"You will stay here with us though, won't you?" He asked her.

"Of course, master! Of course. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. It's as if he could..."

Aro cut her off then, looking around to the rest of the gathered vampires, who no longer looked uncomfortable- just confused. "And everyone else wishes to stay as well?"

"Of course, Master," they answered.

The ancient vampire named Caius looked furious. "What was all that about, Aro?"

"It was what we discussed before, brother. Be calm and patient, and it will eventually work in our favor."

He looked neither calm nor patient, but didn't speak again.

Aro addressed me then, "We realize that you have some issues with our lifestyle, Owen, but in time I think you will come to realize that this is the way it should be. You are free to leave at any time...after you are able to control your urges around humans. We cannot have you feeding in our city, you see. In a few months, we will determine if you are prepared to go."

A few months?! I would have to be here for _months_?!

This was the first inkling I had that something was terribly wrong.

_________________________________________

(Nessie POV)

"Please get out of bed, love. Please. It hurts us to see you this way."

I was tired of hearing my father plead with me. I couldn't help how I felt, and I felt like all I wanted to do was lay in bed and not think.

"I'm worried about you, sweetheart."

"Don't be," I mumbled. "Worrying about me is a waste, there are bigger things for you to worry about."

"Nothing is more important than you," Jake said from the the doorway.

I sighed. He would say that.

"Alice doesn't see them coming for almost 4 months, Ness. That's plenty of time to think of a plan."

"He's right... on both counts," my father agreed.

"Please just let me wallow a little. I'm sad for Owen, okay? He's one of them now, and it hurts. Just let me come to terms with that."

"If that's what you need," Dad sighed as he got up to leave. "Stay with her Jake."

Jake closed the door after my father walked out. "Do you want me to stay?"

"Always."

He smiled and came to curl up next to me, putting his hand on my fluttering heart. "I'll never let anyone hurt this."

I ignored him. "I should have been there. I should have tried to stop him myself...or at least let the Voturi have me since I was the one who told. Then they'd have no reason to harm the rest of you."

I could tell Jake was getting angry. I'd told him all of this many times before, and every time he dismissed my feelings on the matter.

"Let's talk about something else," he said. "We're not getting anywhere new with this conversation."

"Fine."

"Will you be ready to go back to school in a few weeks?" He changed the subject.

I groaned and covered my face with my pillow. "No! I don't see why we have to."

"It's suspicious enough that all of us- Owen included- disappeared after Thanksgiving break. Everyone knows he's gone back overseas, and the Mono excuse can only work for us for so long...Wren and Rory have been calling everyday. Alice thinks we can only draw it out through the end of Christmas break."

"If that's what we have to do I guess." I was feeling sulkier than normal now.

Jake pulled back to look at me. "Do you want to know what I think."

"Not particularly, but I'm sure you'll tell me anyway."

He snorted and did just as I thought he would. "I think that in a week or two you should have the group over. It's long enough that we won't be 'contagious' anymore, and you need to see them. Wren especially. You need some girl time."

He wasn't totally wrong. I was dying to talk with someone outside of the family- especially about the breakup with Owen...and subsequent hookup with Jake. Wren could probably provide some much needed perspective, even if she didn't know the whole story.

"That's not a bad idea. I'll think about it."

He grinned at me, clearly smug that I didn't immediately shoot down his suggestion. I smiled just a little and scooted myself into his chest, pulling his shirt over his head as I did.

"Now?" he teased. "But your parents are home!"

"Behave!" I hissed and then giggled as he started nuzzling and kissing my neck. It amazed me how quickly he was able to lift my spirits. He had almost made me forget about the reason for my melancholy. Almost.

I sighed heavily, slipping back into my funk. Jake stuck out his bottom lip and pouted at me. I ignored him and closed my eyes, I had a lot to think about. So that's what I did as I drifted to sleep.

An immeasurable moment of time later, I woke up with Jake pressing my hand into his face. He was on the verge of sleep, with a silly smile playing around the edges of his full lips.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked him softly.

"You and your dreams." His smile grew until it was a sparkling grin.

"Were they good?"

"Very." He paused to look at me and there was so much love in his eyes that it was nearly overwhelming. "You want to get married."

"WHAT?!" I bolted upright and glared at him incredulously. "That's insane."

"Why? You know we will someday, and we might only have limited time left. Don't you want to experience it before...well...just in case?"

"You really think four months is all we have left." It wasn't a question. I was surprised that he was letting the confident mask slip to tell me this. All I'd heard from him for the last several days was how we'd get out of this scrape, and now he was admitting that he wasn't so sure. It broke my heart.

That did change things. If he was no more confident than me about escaping the Volturi for the second time, could we delay anything? Including...marriage? I didn't have the same issues with matrimony that my mother supposedly had, but I wasn't planning on having to confront the issue for many, many years. But, apparently my subconscious had dredged up the idea in the first place. With all this talking and thinking about the subject, I was shocked that my father wasn't up here giving us his two cents...which I'm sure would go something like 'over my dead body'.

Jake must have seen the conflict that was taking place inside my head, so he held me to him and whispered in my ear, "Don't do anything you aren't ready to do. I'm yours no matter what. But just...give it some thought."

"I will," I promised, and then after a minute added, "Do you want to go hunt?"

"Really? You want to get out of bed?" He asked.

"Yeah...I think I'm ready."

**NOTE: I'm back!!! yay! I should be updating this pretty regularly now that summer is here (finally)! Thanks so much for coming back to read this after such a long wait. In other news, I'm part of a blog (there's a link on my profile) and we have a fanfan section which needs some recommendations, so come check it out and send me some comments/suggestions! **


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